


And Above All, Guidance

by kesshou



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Era, Canon Universe, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Slash, Sensory Deprivation, Touching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 10:35:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10638111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kesshou/pseuds/kesshou
Summary: After suffering damage in battle, Corporal Levi is temporarily blinded and it's up to one doctor's son, Eren Jaeger, to look after him.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I suddenly craved blind!heichou but couldn't find any fic, at least not the way I wanted, so I just figured I'd write it myself.

He heard the door rattle suddenly, noticing how sounds seemed so much more distinct now that the aid of sight was gone, and sat upright in bed.

 

“Who's there,” he wanted to ask but couldn't get the words out with his long unused vocal chords.

 

A person was nearing the bed in rapid motions, immediately snapping the black-haired into defense mode. Damn it, why did everything have to be so fucking dark? Though he was at head quarters, it reminded him all too much of his earlier years spent in darkness. You could have gotten yourself killed by just blinking a fraction too long, so why the fuck didn't he see _anything_ at all now?

When he felt the mattress dipping, he lashed out on instinct only to feel his arms being gripped tightly by the intruder.

 

“Corporal, please calm down,” came a voice he recognized all too well, “it's just me.“

 

He stilled at once, breathing a heavy sigh that was bordering on irritation, he hoped.

 

“Shitty brat. Why didn't you say anything? You could've very well announced yourself when entering the damned door.“

 

“I'm sorry, I thought you were sleeping. I carried a few things,” Eren explained before adding somewhat sheepishly, “and I might've dropped them if I'd averted my eyes for a bit.“

 

At that, Levi was very tempted to roll his eyes, if only it didn't hurt like a bitch.

 

“Well, you didn't exactly seem to me like Humanity's Greatest Multitasker before,” he commented dryly, earning a small chuckle from the boy.

Funny, he thought, being able to just hear Eren's amusement made him briefly wonder what he looked like at that moment. Had Eren's laughter always sounded like that?

 

“So, how are you feeling? Hanji came to me after she changed your bandages and said I should pay you a visit.“

 

“Just peachy. My eyes burn like fucking hell, the bandages itch so much I could scratch off my own skin and I haven't even gotten to the general sensation of disorientation yet which is wonderful all in itself. What makes Hanji tell you to come here, anyway?”

 

He noticed a certain smell that hadn't been there before. A notion of dirt, sweat and sunlight. No doubt that stupid brat must have brought it in. The stench of sweaty teenager seemed to cling to him like a second skin. Levi hoped that at least he had washed his hands before entering his room.

 

“It can't be helped that the signal round was fired so close to your face. At least nobody got hurt this time,” the other tried to appease him. He seemed to turn and get up, from what Levi could tell.

 

“Still, this renders me completely useless now. How many days did Hanji say again? I have better things to do than lounging around in bed all day.”

 

At first, he could still hear Eren moving around the room, arranging the stuff he brought with him, Levi judged by the occasional clanking that came from the table. It wasn't like he'd expected an answer from him. He was overall in a foul mood and conversation didn't exactly top his wishlist right now. But when even those small sounds suddenly disappeared – completely vanished, more like – he was utterly left in the dark again.

 

Levi swallowed.

Okay, what the hell did that brat do now, drop through the floor? It wasn't like he'd heard a door this time. He tried to move his head, searching for an indication that would reveal Eren's whereabouts. His steps, his voice, his scent, _anything_ , but moving around like that made him feel dizzy against the current nothingness. An ever-present void, like a Titan had swallowed him, drowning out every aspect of the remaining world in smoldering heat. Levi's breath quickened against his will, the sound eerily loud in the silence. The Titans! What if they attacked right this instant? What if they crushed the walls, Levi having no means to defend himself or even see what their filthy hands grabbed at next? It was just like back then, left to fight all on his own, too young to easily be able to reach his attacker's throat, only running further into the blackness of the narrow, winding streets, trying to hide behind whatever was left lying out there. But this would serve him little if there really were Titans after him.

 

“Eren!” He found himself shouting against his better judgment. What if the Titans attacked right now – and Levi wasn't able to protect him?

 

”Eren, where the fuck are you?“

 

Was he already too late? Maybe that was the reason why Eren had suddenly disappeared like that.

 

Warm hands laid themselves upon his shoulders, a hurried voice trying to get his attention.

”Corporal? Damn it, you're panicking. What happened?“

 

Levi wouldn't have imagined to ever be so fucking relieved by the boy's presence. But was that really Eren before him? What if it was some kind of imposter?

 

”You need to calm down. Try taking deep breaths, okay?”

 

Though it was hard for Levi to hear him over the pounding of his own heart. Frantic hands reached out, looking for anything to hold on to, and it wasn't before they landed upon soft cheeks that Levi managed to draw in a shuddering, tentatively slow breath, undoubtedly identifying the person before him as Eren Jaeger. Seriously, what teenager still possessed chubby baby cheeks like that? Was that the punishment for being half Titan?

 

”It's alright. I'm here, Levi. It's okay now...”

 

With his currently enhanced sense of hearing, he could make out the uncertainty in Eren's voice at calling him by his name instead of his usual title. And if Levi wasn't such a mess right now, pressing his palms against the brat's face with leftover adrenaline, then he would have accused him of insubordination. He wasn't sure if he should feel touched by how much Eren went out of his way to try to comfort him and wondered instead why Eren didn't complain getting his face squished like that. After tugging at Eren's strands in an ill attempt to draw back, he finally managed to get control of his disgustingly clammy hands. It almost hurt to unclench his stiff digits.

He felt the weight of Eren's hands leave his shoulders at once and almost started to hyperventilate again. What was wrong with him all of a sudden? That was simply pathetic. Why did his lack of sight affect him so much that he was nothing more than a frightened child, needing the touch of another to somehow feel anchored to this place?

 

The other seemed to sense his alarm, not letting go entirely but instead wrapping one hand loosely around Levi's wrist.

 

“You were looking for me,” Eren said softly, reassuringly. “I should've said something when I left. I'm just not used to you...being like this. You seem to usually know wherever I am, so I figured it'd be okay now, too. I'm sorry.”

 

“Of course I need to know where you are normally. How else could I fulfill my duty to monitor you,” Levi muttered automatically, still somewhat sour.

 

“I was just across the other room,” he explained further, “I needed some water from the sink for the lotion I'm preparing.”

 

“What lotion?”

 

He heard a rustling of clothes that apparently was Eren shrugging. “It's some kind of ointment. To make the itch go away. My dad once told me.”

 

“Doctor Jaeger's son, eh?” So that's why Hanji had sent Eren to him, Levi figured. Because of some kind of damned skin cream.

 

“So, are you quite finished preparing then?”

 

He sensed Eren hesitating. Was he really considering whether he should get up from the bed if it meant leaving Levi there?

 

His weight shifted on the mattress before halting ever so slightly. “I'll be right back, okay? I'll just get the bowl from the table.“

 

At least the kid was adaptive to some extent...

 

The black-haired waited, calmly this time. Even though he was still surrounded in complete darkness, he had tuned in to Eren's footsteps making their way across the room. When he sat back down next to Levi, his distinctive scent surrounded Levi once more and he subconsciously took a deep, even breath, feeling himself warm up from the inside out. Eren carefully touched the bandages wrapped around his head, not wanting to startle him.

 

“I need to remove those, I'm afraid,” he muttered before commencing with the task at hand. As he slowly unwound the cloth, Levi could feel the cotton-like pressure that sealed his sore eyes shut gradually dissipating. While the temptation to open them rose despite the pain it would bring, he kept himself from doing so.

 

“As I'd thought, the skin looks a little irritated,” Eren stated after he'd finished unwrapping. “Where does it itch the most?“

 

Levi moved his fingers to touch his temple and the delicate skin around his eyes. “Guess I can't handle those shitty bandages all too well...”

 

He heard Eren make an understanding sound before he spoke up, “I'm gonna apply the ointment now. Hope it's not too cold.”

 

The next moment, Levi could feel a sticky substance on his skin and almost recoiled. Who knew what the damned brat had mixed in there? He hoped it wasn't some horse shit he had found when cleaning the stables earlier.

 

Eren must have seen him flinch because he abruptly pulled his hand away. “Sorry, did it hurt,” he muttered and then tried again with even less pressure. Coming to think of it, Levi hadn't even registered a painful sensation as he had been too preoccupied with imagining the worst and uncleanest ingredients possible. With Eren's almost non-existent touch and the lotion cooling his skin, he couldn't really call it painful; it was more like an odd kind of unfamiliarity.

He tried to remain as still as possible, not wanting the kid to see him squirm every time he touched him. Given that he couldn't determine which area Eren would touch next, it was somewhat of an accomplishment, he thought.

 

After a while, he found himself getting used to the uncomfortable sensation, his shoulders relaxing, the rhythmic sound of Eren's breathing unexpectedly reassuring. Not that he could miss a sound so loud in such a quiet room. Did the kid always inhale so noisily? It sounded like speeding 3DMG wires to him but then again, maybe it was just due to his newly improved hearing.

 

Whereas the kid was such a fast talker normally, he was overly silent now. Probably because he wasn't able to properly apply the skin cream if he were talking at the same time. Levi pictured his face scrunched up in concentration, tongue sticking out at the side of his mouth, and almost had to chuckle at the dumb impression.

 

Just then, Eren reached his temple, having to brush Levi's bangs out of the way slightly to not soil his hair. The hand remained entwined there in his strands, resting alongside his head, and Levi could feel the other shifting his weight on the bed, leaning forward to get better access. And that was when a strange sensation hit him at how awfully gentle Eren was being with his hands and his words. The concept that those hands that were delicately touching his skin, even cradling his head as far as he could tell, belonged to a vengeful youth with the goal of annihilating each and every Titan and that this same youth was able to turn into said such Titan seemed paradox and very far away all of a sudden. What remained was a kind-hearted, somewhat overeager teenager. One who was currently breathing _on Levi's face_ , goddammit.

 

Over the course of his actions, the brat had undoubtedly scooted closer, as Levi could tell by the increased amount of body warmth that got transferred to him.

 

“Your hair looks kinda cool with an undercut like that,” he heard Eren say close to his ear.

 

What the fuck? Did he just hear that correctly? Levi couldn't fathom what had gotten into the kid. Ever since he'd entered his room, his usually bold demeanor seemed strangely subdued and meek.

 

“Are you running a fever?” He grumbled skeptically. He reached out to touch Eren's forehead, albeit somewhat missing and ending up dragging his hand over the majority of Eren's face, even ruffling bits of his hair in the process. The boy suddenly seemed to lack the ability to stay still. He squirmed and tried to move away from Levi's hand, though not without the other noticing the elevated temperature of his skin first. “Now, does being half Titan require twenty-four-seven hot flashes? Maybe that's why you're sweating so damn much all the time,” he teased.

 

Obviously flustered, Eren stopped his ministrations to pull further away, trying to get out of reach of Levi's prying fingers.

 

“I...I think your skin'll be better now. I used up almost all the lotion. Do you feel better already? I hope the itch goes away. Guess I should wrap you back up then,” he rambled and stood to fetch clean gauze, then proceeded to press it over Levi's eyes as carefully as possible before tying the bandages around it. The Corporal witnessed the whole ordeal in silent amusement, feeling that secure pressure around his tired eyes once more.

 

Eren remained sitting next to him. “I didn't fasten it too tightly, did I? Does it feel okay? Is it uncomfortable anywhere?”

 

Levi only shook his head, listening to the teen's continued babbling.

 

“You know, this is something I learned from my father. When I was younger, I used to go with him when he traveled across the countryside. I watched him treat a lot of people and even assisted him sometimes. That was when he taught me how to make that ointment.”

 

Somewhere along the lines, the black-haired had let himself sink back into the covers again. He had sat upright for far too long now, his back beginning to feel stiff.

 

Seeing him lying down, Eren immediately lost track of his tale. “I'm sorry, Corporal. I...I didn't mean to bother you with boring stories. Maybe I should be going now. You could need some rest.”

 

Levi almost shot upright in bed again. Eren leaving meant the return of that sickening void that would swallow him for what would feel like an eternity until someone came to either renew the bandages or bring him food. With the prospect of at least another two or three days spent in total blackness before the bandages could be taken off for good, he couldn't possibly have that.

 

“Stay,” he wanted to say but felt the word stuck in his throat. “Keep talking,” he managed to order instead with as best a commanding voice as he could muster. “You always seem so damn eager to run your mouth.”

 

He felt Eren fidgeting on the mattress. “Really? Is it alright? I don't want to get on your nerves, after all.”

 

“I'll make sure to kick you in the stomach then, so you'll know,” he replied somewhat exasperatedly before settling into the sheets again.

 

Eren emitted a small, undignified noise before picking up whatever recount it was he had on his mind. At first, he continued to tell Levi about his childhood memories, about the trips with his father and how he'd even met that black-haired girl that never once left Eren's side somewhere during that time. He also told him about his mother that had passed away and Levi tried to picture her in his head absent-mindedly, wondering if her eyes had been the same color as Eren's.

 

When he ran out of stories, he started blabbering about whatever it was the new recruits seemed to go on about for days on end, what food he liked best or how his trainee squad instructor had without a doubt been sent straight from hell.

 

Soon, the sound of Eren's voice and the knowledge that he stayed there with him, making Levi feel like he still belonged to this world as well, calmed him down so much his breathing gradually evened out. He couldn't tell exactly what the teen explained the moment his consciousness slipped and he was once more surrounded by nothingness, gently this time. The warm smell of dirt and sweat accompanying him as well as the phantom sensation of rays of sunshine softly touching his forehead.

**Author's Note:**

> I was just wondering, if any of you guys knows of good blindfold!ereri fic featuring “No Name” Levi, send it my way on [tumblr](http://gaytypetitan.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
